This is such a fun and uplifting book. Each chapter made me smile and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling. I enjoy how the characters I'm eating on a flight nearly every year. I like how it is continuous and we can see the progress of the characters over all the years. Andrew and Molly have such as tradition going on. I would highly recommend this book as a feel-good book to read during the holiday period. Andrew and Molly has a great connection and amazing banter throughout their plane journeys. A must read.

This is the first book I have ever read by Catherine Walsh and I will say she has a new dedicated reader on her hands. I couldn't get ENOUGH of this book. The dialogue, the banter, the realistic conversations, and just the slow-burn swoon worthy story made this a book I couldn't put down.

What I liked: I swear Walsh sat in a cafe somewhere and just wrote what she heard. The conversation between her characters was so realistic, you felt like you were eavesdropping. The reactions mid sentence, the interruption in thought, it was simply true to form. Think about it - when two people are going back and forth, especially if facial expressions are present or an argument is heated - there are interruptions. In most books, the characters speak in complete sentences but with Walsh, I LOVED how her characters would be mid rant and completely break train of thought to acknowledge the reaction of the person they were speaking with.

The slow burn of the romance just made you fall in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. You grew with them, you changed with them, and you saw how they fit together - even when they couldn’t. The excitement of the possibilities flourished with each page and the way she described each interaction just made you heart flutter. Even her steamy scenes were beautifully written with so much feeling, so much heart that you couldn’t be more happy with two people coming together if you tried.

What I didn’t like: Honestly I really can’t give you anything I didn’t like about this book. Even going back and forth between past and present, you were able to follow the time jump. When she brought it all together through Andrew’s declaration, it made it clear why those were necessary, to see things in that moment from his perspective instead of just Molly’s. I do wish she dove a little more into Andrew's struggle with alcohol. but I really don't think it was pertinent to the story and if she did, it may have taken away from it rather than added to it. She gave you just enough to show Andrew's vulnerability and how he leaned on Molly as much as Molly leaned on him.

Walsh did a fantastic job with this holiday romance. You felt like you were a part of the ride every step of the way. You will laugh, you will cheer, and you heart will swell all throughout the book and burst with joy when you get to the last page.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Trigger warning: alcohol abuse.

I received an ARC from Netgalley (thank you!) so here is my unbiased, spoiler-free review…

Synopsis

Molly is a successful lawyer, taking the normally non-eventful flight Chicago with her friend Andrew, to get home to their respective families in time for Christmas. Only this year, a storm does its best to keep the pair grounded. Self-professed Scrooge, Molly, pulls every string in the book to try and get Buddy the Elf, Andrew, home in time for the festivities. Throw in some added complications of some pesky mistletoe, Andrew’s new sobriety and Molly’s very pregnant twin sister, it’s a sweet friends-to-lovers romance set over the Christmas period.

Give me Christmas, give me a burnt out corporate high-flyer (pun absolutely intended), give me friends-to-lovers, I am ALL IN. Holiday Romance was a super sweet story – Molly and Andrew’s adventures around the world as they try to make it home for Christmas had me gripped – I read most of the book in two sittings (the last ten percent had to wait as life got in the way unfortunately).

One of very few negatives for me (and it’s hard to explain without spoilers) is that I didn’t feel Andrew’s sobriety had much purpose in the plot. It was just inserted as one of those things – but then again, maybe it’s good to normalise people re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol and choosing sobriety.

It was reminiscent of People We Meet On Vacation (another friends-to-lovers I adored) with the tales of their previous flights. I liked Molly and Andrew as characters, and their various siblings. A nice, joyful story I’m sure everyone will enjoy in the run up to the festive season.

❄️
This book was such a cute friends-to-lovers romance that made you smile from the very beginning. I really liked that we could follow their previous years in the flashback chapters. Their friendship over the past ten years, slowly building up to something more... It was so entertaining to follow their adventure through different countries to manage to get home in time for Christmas. I felt that I really needed to read a cute holiday romance already in september, and this book didn't dissapoint me at all.
✈️
Read if you like:
❄️ Friends-to-lovers
✈️ Adventurous journey
❄️ Festive vibes
✈️ Romantic comedy

I was very happy to be accepted for an ARC for ‘holiday romance’, since I need to clean my palate after reading thrillers. I was lucky enough to find a rom-com I liked.

The book follows Molly and Andrew, who meet at the airport every year to go home for Christmas. The book dives right into the tenth flight. Instead of flying home like they usually do, there is a storm and their flight is cancelled. Instead of giving up, Molly decides she will get them home, even if it means traveling for days.

it doesn’t take long before sparks starts to fly. Molly and Andrew are both funny and likable characters and their dialogues reflects it. Their effortless banter cheered me up. There were lots of sweet moments, but it didn’t get too syrupy. It also took some time to get to the action, but I enjoyed it more when I knew them.

In some rom-coms there are too many ‘nooooo, why??’ situations, where the characters don’t say what they mean or hide their feelings. That can be frustrating, so it was refreshing with a couple where they talked more openly about their feelings, even if it took some time. And when Molly almost chickened out, there were some lovely people around her to give her some perspective.

Summed up this is a heartwarming, funny and cozy novel. A perfect pre-Christmas read to remember what matters in life .

Thanks to netgally and the publisher for the arc

4⭐️

This is a Hallmark Christmas movie in the form of a book. It has friendship and potential for love, problems to overcome and the holidays to tie it all together.

The book is fun and flirty and easy to read and makes you just want to cozy up in a blanket, by a fire with hot chocolate as you binge the book.

Am I ready for Christmas after reading this book? Yes, I am!

Thank you Catherine Walsh and netgalley for the ARC!

In Catherine Walsh's HOLIDAY ROMANCE, Molly and Andrew are long-time friends who have bonded over their yearly flight home to Ireland, which they now intentionally plan each year. On the tenth anniversary of their flight, however, a storm grounds their plane and they're forced to find a creative way to get home. As their plans change, the time spent together beings to change their dynamic too.

This novel is aptly named and everything you would want in a holiday romance. Festive without being too kitschy, with some colorful and lovable side characters who really enhance the narrative. Some points do feel somewhat contrived to continue the plot, making it feel a bit inorganic, but that's par for the course and in romance books sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

A quick read and fun diversion, I'd recommend this to anyone who (like me) loves Hallmark Christmas movies and sweet, cozy love stories.

Thanks netgalley for letting me read this one I really got into the holiday spirit with this one and I can't say enough about the story and how much fun it was to read a friends to lovers book I laughed cause it was so much fun to read

I liked Catherine’s storytelling in ‘The Rebound’, but I just love it now in ‘Holiday Romance’ !!
It's a driven-home-for-Christmas Hallmark movie story but only 10x better.
Molly & Andrew’s travel adventure also gave me ‘Leap Day’ movie vibes .. and I’m so here for it :D

QUOTE - “Excuse me, sir,” I say as he rears back, startled. “I think you’re in my seat?”
Andrew Fitzpatrick’s shocked look disappears as soon as he sees me. He grins up at me with those hazel eyes as if I’m the best thing that happened to his day. I know he’s the best thing that’s happened to mine.

10 flights between Chicago O’Hare and Dublin are the foundation for Molly & Andrew’s friendship these last 9 years. Both traveling back home to Ireland for Christmas this year, but not in the first class seats that Molly arranged due to a huge storm and cancelled flights.
This is the start of a seasonal travel adventure to make it to Ireland; and their respective parents; in time for Christmas Eve.

QUOTE - “Blew your mind with that kiss, huh?”
I glance sharply at him, but he’s smiling. He’s joking. “Because I’m just saying, if this is you finally getting into the festive spirit –”
“Okay,” I interrupt, and he laughs. The sound of it makes me feel better.

The story has everything I could ever want from a seasonal rom-com ...
2 supportive friends with great chemistry and witty banter, who share sweet moments and Christmas traditions during their travels. Overtime feelings start to grow, unbeknownst to themselves but soon to be revealed thanks to the help of some airport mistletoe.
Add in some Christmas presents, sweaters, food & atmosphere and you’ll have yourself this heartwarming romance, plus a jolly good time !

QUOTE - “You’ll be grand”

Would recommend to people who love
- Forced proximity - travel adventure edition
- Friends to Lovers
- Christmas romance sparkle
- Single POV

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read a free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

*Seriously needed this* Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy for honest review

I picked up this Christmassy book about two days ago after reading a well, ...a shitty book, and it sincerely cleansed my soul and made me whole again. I definitely recommend it.

Coming out on the 4th of October of this year, Holiday romance by Catherine Walsh is FANTASTIC. It's a mixture of Christmas and family, life and love and etc.

Set in Chicago and Ireland, it's a story of Molly and Andrew who were nothing but friends through a girlfriend. Andrew being the charming boyfriend of Molly's friend, Hayley , got dumped and in the twist of fates , they became good, in fact best friends after some years and kept at it. They always travel on the same flight home for Christmas no matter what. Their tenth flight is set apart by a series of events that was caused by a cancelled flight and Andrews love for Christmas with family.
The book is a journey through ten of their flights, which equal ten Christmases, and how they came to realize and accept their love for one another.

What I like most about the book is that it's not too predictable and the author has an awesome control of writing in -media-res. Some points on..

Love: the love portrayed in the novel is so intricate and not fake in any way. It's so smooth it feels like real life. I've read some that are just too mushy and bland. This one is exciting as it can be. Even the love between family is as real as can be. It doesn't give you the sense of 'ew'

Christmas: I love the way Christmas is potrayed as on the differences in the celebration of Christmas on different households. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean EVERYONE has to celebrate the same or even particularly like it.🤷

I'll stop the spoilers here😉

The book is relaxing and so laid back that you won't want to drop it until you're done.

So Did I mention it's relaxing?

Well, this is certainly a sweet holiday romance! Molly and Andrew live in Chicago and are both originally from Ireland. Despite a rocky start a decade ago, they are now good friends even though they only really see each other for their annual flight back home for the holidays. This year, nothing goes as planned with a winter storm leading to flight cancellations. Molly has to get creative as she is determined to get Andrew to his hometown in time for Christmas dinner.

This is a light, fun read (perfect for enjoying around the holidays with a hot chocolate or your beverage of choice). There are flashbacks between the present and the various flights Molly and Andrew have taken together. The beginning of the story had a lot of dynamism as Molly and Andrew hustle to catch numerous planes, train, bus, ferry, etc. The second half focuses more on their relationship and whether their friendship is really something more...

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Molly and Andrew who have been travelling on the same flight from Chicago to Ireland each year for 10 years to go home for the holidays. On their 10th flight home, they run into some issues and are forced into making a few extra stops on their way.

UGHHHH this book was so cute. I was drawn in right from the start and I stayed interested the whole way through. This book gave me holiday People We Meet On Vacation vibes and I loved it so much. The banter between Molly and Andrew was top notch and their relationship had me giggling with a stupid grin on my face the whole time.

This is the perfect book to get you ready for the holidays and I highly recommend reading it. This was the first book I have read by Catherine but I’ll definitely be reading her other books.

This was one of those books that sucked me in very quickly, and I couldn’t put it down. Molly and Andrew are adorable - best friends who started as friends in a truly cringeworthy moment. The banter is fabulous. The flashbacks are amazing and tie into the story well.

I love this book. It is so amazing. 10/10

This is a great holiday romance. This is the story of Molly and Andrew who become friends through a unique situation and see each other once a year everytime they fly home to Ireland. I loved both of these characters. I've read a lot of rom-coms and I appreciated that this story was a little different. The time they spent together based on airport layovers and long flights and only keeping in touch by phone or text the rest of the year. It gave me all of the feels and set in my favorite time of the year.

This was a delightful read!

I really enjoyed the style of this novel, interspersing Christmas eve flights over the space of 10 years with the "now" - so well executed and really enjoyable.

Molly and Andrew are thrown together by fate a few times before they start taking matters into their own hands and organize their yearly Christmas flight to Ireland (where they both hail from) from Chicago. Except that this year things are different: they're both single AND there's a massive storm that completely derails their *perfect* travel plans.

With the help of a few fun side characters (Gabriella and Oliver!), the two finally make it to Ireland just in time for Christmas Eve and Day - but not without learning something about themselves as they finally lean into a romantic relationship along the way. Maybe it was the Paris bistro, or the airport in Argentina, or maybe even the mistletoe in Chicago, but I like to think that their evening stroll across the Thames in London is one of their beautiful moments that cinches it - makes them take the next step towards whatever they might become together - rather than apart.

Funny, sexy and full of Christmas cheer - this is a great holiday rom-com read :)

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is a fun Christmas romcom with friends to lovers, dual timeline, and lots of Christmas vibes. I greatly enjoyed reading this book. I loved how each chapter had flashbacks of their previous years of flights together as well as the present day and their struggle to get home for this years holiday. I also love how Molly and Andrew spent their first flight together and how ironic all of it was right after Molly had gotten off of the phone with Hayley. Molly had such a sweet personality and despite her not wanting to go home that much for the holidays, she did everything she could to make sure Andrew would get home since she knew how important that was for him. Andrew had such a strong connection to his family and the holidays and the two of them had quite the adventure getting back home. This adventure lead them to figuring out their true feelings for one another and realizing what was important to the both of them. I will definitely be recommending this one to all my friends this year as a good Christmas romcom to read this holiday season.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

— ARC review —
This is the ultimate Christmas read! if you still don’t have it on your (winter) TBR.. don’t wait any longer! This is such a fun read! I really really love this book.


The story is about Molly and Andrew, two (best) friends, who meet in real life every year when they fly back home to Ireland for Christmas. On their 10th flying-home-together-before-christmas-anniversary there is a huge storm which makes it impossible for them to fly back home. Or not? And what will happen between Molly and Andrew?


The characters in this book are well written and you symphatise with them. Molly is a workaholic and is having a hard time coping with her job in law. Debating if she wants to continue or change her entire career. During this struggle she doesn’t want to be a burden so she keeps it all to herself. Luckily there is cutiepie Andrew who notices something is off and helps Molly by giving advice and such. I really like the dynamic between these two. A lot of goofying around, but serious and honest when it’s needed. And supporting each other through thick and thin.


I definitely will re-read this book during winter/Christmas time! It was not exactly the proper time to read this with 30 degrees outside.


Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Molly and Andrew are friends flying home from Chicago to Ireland to spend the holidays with family. This year marks the tenth anniversary of their first trip together. For seven hours each holiday, they get to catch up with their lives. Andrew is crushed when a snowstorm threatens to thwart their plans, as spending Christmas with his family is extremely important to him, so Molly vows to get him home in time for the celebration. As they travel far and long to avoid the storm, and with the help of their loved ones, Molly and Andrew come to terms with their feelings for each other and decide whether they will risk the friendship that is so dear to both acting on them.

This is a heartwarming, fun, and satisfying read. The plot moves along two timelines: the present day, and a countdown of the past nine holiday trips, allowing us to slowly discover and understand the development of Molly and Andrew’s friendship over the years. The author crafted a story full of relatable and hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud more than once. I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters, especially the effort they put to make each other happy, and the honesty and sensitivity with which they discuss hard subjects, as well the banter between them and with their siblings. The side characters are delightful and smart, especially Zoe, Christian and Hannah, which I hope are getting their own story written in the future. The ending was satisfying. There are so many aspects to the story I loved, but I do not want to spoil it for anybody. So, if you are looking for a funny, friends-to-lovers intelligent read with festive vibes, look no further; this book is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

I was so excited to receive an arc of this book! I’m from Chicago and love any book based in the city. I also love to travel and especially love Ireland. So this book had it all.

Molly’s best friend Hayley is dating Andrew. Molly had been around him some, but after they bonded over both being from Ireland Hayley decided to keep them away from each other. The funny thing is fate can’t be tampered with. Molly and Andrew end up seated together on their flight home from Christmas. That’s also the time Hayley chooses to break up with Andrew… over text. That flight is awkward to say the least and Andrew doesn’t speak to Molly again.

That is until the next year when, you guessed it, they’re on the same flight again… seated next to each other.

Flying home for Christmas together becomes their thing. They’re good friends. On the 10th flight home together a big storm hits Chicago. Their flight is canceled. Andrew loves Christmas and is really bummed he won’t make it home. Molly decides he’s getting home no matter the cost.

The two set off on a three day adventure trying to get Andrew home in time for Christmas. And they might set off on their own sort of adventure too.

I really enjoyed reading the banter between Molly and Andrew. They’re both hilarious. I was laughing the whole way through. In true friends to lovers fashion I was rooting for them from the start. Andrew is also going to be added to my book boyfriends list asap. He is so funny and sweet to Molly. A true Irish gentleman. This is a great holiday read and will put you into the Christmas spirit! I can’t recommend it enough.